Improvement in fronts for post-office boxes



2Sheens-Sheet 1.

C. J. OLEMENTS. Front for Post-Office Boxes; No. 217,000. Patented July 1, I879.

2Sheets-Sfleet 2. C. J. OLEMENTS.

Front for Post-Office Boxes. No. 217,000. 4 Patented July I, 1879.

N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHDGRAPNER. WASMNGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHARLESJ. GLEMENTS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRONTS FOR POST-OFFICE BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,000, dated July 1, 1879 application filed May 1-2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. GLEMENrs, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fronts for Post-Office Letter- Boxes; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making'part of this specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in the fronts of post-office letterboxes; and it consists in a metallic front for post-office boxes having two or more sections with two or more box-fronts cast together in each section, and the several sections secured to each other, thereby forming an entire front for the boxes, which is disconnected from, and supported independently of, the boxes or pigeon-holes to which the front is applied.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of rear of fronts; Fig. 2, a-perspective view of pigeonholes detached from front; Fig. 3, a back elevation of front and pigeon-holes, partly in section; Fig. 4 a section through line w m, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, side elevation of pigeon-holes in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

In fitting up post-ofiice letter-boxes that are to have metallic fronts and doors, the utmost nicety is required in the placing of the boxes together, or the metallic frame for the front and thedoors will not fit, and a very small inaccuracy in one box or in its dimensions will be likely to extend to. the other boxes, the inaccuracy increasing as it extends from box to box until it becomes serious enough to givemuch trouble in adjusting the frame and doors to the boxes; and this trouble in fitting the frames and boxes is also liable to occur from the warping of the wood from which the boxes are made, it being necessarily thin and liable to shrink or swell and twist.

To obviate these difficulties, and at the same time to construct substantial fronts for post-office letter-boxes at reasonable cost, and to secure the exact perpendicularity of the fronts without much trouble, so that'the doors will properly swing on their hinges, I construct my front for post-office boxes by casting the front in sections, A and B, each section containing a number of openings, 0, and having doors I) secured to them. These sections may be arranged horizontally or vertically.

The several sections composing the front are firmly secured together by lugs a, cast to the rear surface of the sections, through which lugs pass screws b, so that when one section abuts against the other section the lugs will be in juxtaposition and the screw-holes therein coincident. The entire front may be surrounded by a frame or box, E, to which the front may be secured in place, as at a; or, if desired, the frame or box E may be omitted, and the front be secured to the ceiling, walls, and floor, or otherwise, as may be desired.

Behind the front, hereinbefore described, are placed the boxes F to receive the letters. These boxes are of the ordinary pigeon-hole form, and are entirely disconnected from the front, and they may be built up independently of the front, and yet when placed in position be fully protected by the front and its locked doors, so that no particular degree of accuracy is necessary in putting together the boxes or pigeon-holes, and it is immaterial after the boxes are in position whether the wood of which they are made warps or not, for the front, when constructed as I have described it, will apply equally well, and afford the same protection to the boxes, notwithstanding such warping.

Another advantage from constructing the fronts of post-office boxes as hereinbefore described is, that in fitting up a post-office it is only necessary to ship to the office requiring the boxes a given number of sections of the front with the doors. These sections, being thin and flat, can be packed together in small compass and transported at little compara tive cost, and any ordinary. mechanic can set up the front and secure it in position, and any carpenter can at the post-office build up the pigeon-holes behind the front; whereas the fronts and boxes as they are ordinarily con structed have to be built at the factory, and there be accurately set up and fitted together, and then shipped to their place of destination.

Having now described my invention, what I I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent, is

1. Ametallicfrontfor post-officeletter-boxes, consisting of two or more sections, each section having two or more openings protected by locked doors, and the several sections being rigidly secured together independently of and disconnected from the pigeon-holes or boxes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a sectional metallic front for post-office letter-boxes, the several sections thereof united together by lugs and screws independently of and disconnected from the boxes or pigeonholes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

GHAS. J OLEMENTS.

Witnesses:

H. L. WATTENBERG,

G. M. PLYMPTON. 

